Fundraising companies say their fees are well-earned and still leave candidates with more money than they would have if their ads had not been shared widely. But critics, including Klacik and some other 2020 candidates, say the system is deceptive, trapping first-time politicians in onerous contracts that siphon away cash their donors intended for them. “It sounds like part of the swamp that needs to be drained,” said Bruce Dale, a Klacik donor from Michigan who was aghast to learn that a chunk of his $800 in donations may not have made it to her. “They can say it’s legal,...